Mercy Medical Center: Advancing robotics, minimizing surgery

Judith KelliherDr. William Swanson, a urologist and Mercy Medical Center's new chief of robotic surgery, stands next to the center's da Vinci Si Surgical System, the latest addition to the da Vinci product line for minimally invasive treatment options using robotically-assisted surgery.

Mercy Medical Center’s new chief of robotic surgery is confident an updated robot-aided surgical system the center has introduced from California-based Intuitive Surgical will reduce patients’ recovery time and create a less invasive environment in their bodies.

“The patient experience is really much improved. They’re getting back to work earlier and even walking around the same day,” said Dr. William Swanson of the Si surgical model from Intuitive, which first introduced what it calls its da Vinci Surgical System in 1999.

Although Mercy has used da Vinci technology over the past few years, the Si surgical model is the manufacturer’s most advanced version of the system. The Si model is more streamlined and takes up less space, allowing the surgeon to move the machine’s four robotic arms more freely for more mobility, said Swanson, a urologist who practices at Pioneer Valley Urology P.C. in Springfield.

This tool enables surgeons to perform what have traditionally been open surgeries with a minimally invasive technique. In other words, instead of a large incision, surgeons can perform the same surgeries using several smaller, less painful incisions.

Minimally invasive procedures, also known as minimally invasive surgery or “keyhole” surgery, have been helping to redefine surgical procedures in recent years. Minimally invasive procedures include both laparoscopy (surgery through small holes made for both thin instruments as well as specially designed video equipment) and endoscopy (diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed through the body’s organs and vessels).

The da Vinci system is said to be beneficial for several kinds of surgeries, including prostate removal, taking out cancerous tumors from kidneys, hysterectomies, colon surgery and gastric bypass surgery.

During a procedure with the system, the surgeon sits at a console and is in control of the four robotic arms, including one with a camera, which offers a three-dimensional, high definition view of the operating field with up to 10 times the magnification. In the newer model, the robotic instruments are approximately two inches longer, allowing surgeons to more easily access deep tissues and more safely perform surgery on larger patients, Swanson said.

An added benefit of the Si model, Swanson said, is that while sitting at the console and observing the surgical area, surgeons can also view a live ultrasound of the patient’s affected area via special technology.

“Instead of having to get up from the console and go to the patient’s side to look at an ultrasound, it is right there in front of me. This way we are not wasting time,” said Swanson of the benefits to the surgeon and operating team.

Mercy surgeons can also practice their skills using Mercy’s new da Vinci Skill Simulator, a device that allows them to practice virtual surgical techniques using the robotic system. Swanson said this allows surgeons to familiarize themselves with the new robotic system and to hone their robotic surgical skills.

According to its web site, Intuitive said its product is called “‘da Vinci’ in part because (Renaissance artist, sculptor and scientific investigator) Leonardo da Vinci is credited with inventing the first robot. da Vinci used unparalleled anatomical accuracy and three-dimensional details to bring his masterpieces to life. The da Vinci Surgical System similarly provides surgeons with such enhanced detail and precision that the system can mimic open surgery while allowing doctors to perform complex procedures through a few tiny incisions.”